Mathews High School - Clipper Yearbook (Mathews, VA)

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FRONT ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: P. Be nnett, E. Jenkins, L. Diggs, E. Eriksen, J. Nohen, J. Brown, F. Diggs, S. Rawls. SECOND ROW: W. Flippin, S. Payne, M. Callis, M. Armistead, H. Wilson, M. Morris, B. Arnest, J. Diggs, B. Forrest. THIRD ROW: M. Hutson, M. Pritchett, A. Haywood, B. Guill, V. Lewis, J. Smith, B. Armistead, W. Ward, G. Hudgins. FOURTH ROW: V. Small, D. Ripley, J. Deagle, B. Hudgins, W. Hudgins, R. Grimstead, G. Spry. LAST ROW: M. James, G. Mason, B. Hudgins, A. Callis, V. Thomas, D. Haufler, L. Spry, S. Mitchem. Six awards were presented to members of the Class of ' 53 on their graduation night by Mr. Forrest. Betty Fern Armistead won the First Honor Award in scholarship; Virginia Small and Betty Jane Hudgins tied to win the Second Honor Award in scholarship; the coveted General Excellence Award was given Morgan Pritchett. Special awards were given in science and athletics. Webster Hudgins received the Science Award and Vernon Thomas and Virginia Lewis were presented awards in athletics. FAR ntAS BANK o -f y AT HEW5 A encord 17

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The sands of time nave shifted since the Class of ' 53 made its entry at Mathews High School. Upon entering M.H.S. the class was composed of fifty students of whom forty-one re¬ mained to receive diplomas. Among this number there were three sets of twins who kept the entire school in an uproar trying to distinguish them. In their freshman year the class was organized into two homerooms. Mr. George Matzner III and Mr. Charles Skinner were their sponsors. They chose for their officers Betty Fern Armistead, President, Larry Spry, Vice President, Grady Spry, Secretary, and Vernon Thomas, Treasurer. They enjoyed socials in the gym during the year, and some members of the class won parts in a minstrel show presented by the Dramatics Club. Jean K. Brown and Mary E. Hutson represented the class on May Court. The next fall the sophomores resumed their studies with Miss Callis and Mrs. Matthews as their sponsors. When the Class organized that year it chose Vernon Thomas as it Presi¬ dent, Virginia Lewis as the Vice President, Betty Jane Hudgins as Secretary, and Morgan Pritchett as the Treasurer. During that year the school held a bazaar and the sophomores lead the school in sales. At this point in their high school days many of the class were engaging in all the extra-cirricular activities possible. Some of the boys were well on their way to fame and glory as top stars in sports in this district of the State. Another summer.The new Juniors began as soon as possible to organize and formulate plans for the quickly ad¬ vancing Junior-Senior Prom and Banquet. The Junior sponsors were Mrs. White and Mr. Schoen and the same class officers were re-elected. Early in the fall this class proved just how ambitious and conscientious they really were by the record sales they made in selling magazines for the Crowe 11 -Collier Publishing Company. The remainer of the year was filled with bake sales, skating parties, and the selling of emblems and peanuts at ball games in order to raise money that was needed for the Junior-Senior Prom. Selma Mitchem was named chair¬ man of the Prom Committee. The theme was A Garden in the Moonlight . This class decided to change the long custom of having a banquet to having a buffet supper at midnight. The Prom and supper were carried out beautifully with very little confusion but just enough to add a note of excitement to the gaity of the night. The Tidewater Science Congress was established and held its first meeting at Mathews High School. Webster Hudgins, the outstanding science student of the class, was very distin¬ guished in the convention for his exhibition of the morphology of internal organs of animals. He later went to the National Science Fair at Washington D.C. where he captured fourth prize for his display of the same project. The Juniors ordered their class rings and received them April I, I952. Vernon Thomas and Morgan Pritchett were chosen by their classmates to go to Boy ' s State at Virginia Polyechinic Institute in Blacksburg. Sixteen Juniors were tapped into the Beta Club and Mary Morris was chosen Presi¬ dent Morgan Pritchett was elected S.C. A. President by the entire student body for the coming term of 1952-1953. In the fall ot 1952 Virginia Lewis was elected class Presi¬ dent, Willis Ward Jr., Vice-President, Gloria Hudgins, Secre¬ tary, and Morgan Pritchett, Treasurer. The Senior sponsors were Miss Owens and Miss Davis. Joyce Nohen was chosen Editor-in-Chief of the annual. The class decided to dedicate the 7th Volume of the CLIPPER to Mrs. Myrtle Matthews. A Who ' s Who contest was held and those receiving the honors were not to be announced until the annual came out, but somehow the word got around before very long and every one knew just who was who at M.H.S. The Seniors, following the annual custom, presented a Christmas pageant at an assembly preceding the Christmas holi¬ days. The class engaged the Barter Theater for a presentation of the play The Virginian , by Owen Wister which was presented in the high school auditorium the last of January. In February the May Queen and her court were chosen by the entire student body. Barbara Forrest was elected Queen and Selma Mitchem was chosen to be her Maid-of-Honor. On May 15, amid commencement practice the Juniors entertained the Seniors and their guests at the annual Junior- Senior Prom. The gymasium was decorated beautifully and everyone seemed to be caught in an air of festivity. All the decorations and favors carried out the Star Dust theme. By this time everything was beginning to happen at once. The gowns arrived, practices were held for the Baccalaureate Service and Commencement, clubs had farewell parties and nearly all the clubs had a majority of their members as Seniors. Somehow all the things that seemed would never be done were attented to but there was little time for anything other than school activities at this point in their school life. Mary Katherine James honored her class by being selected Miss Mathews of 1953 in a contest held for that purpose. She will go to Cape Charles in August to compete for the title of Miss Virginia. The Senior gift which was a nameplate arrived and was gratefully accepted by Harold Diggs, S.C. A. President for 1954, on behalf of the school at the Commencement exercises. On May 31, Dr. Frederick H. Olert of Richmond delivered a very inspiring and challenging sermon to the Seniors at their Baccalaureate Service. On June 2, as scheduled, the Senior Prom was held. This was the Seniors last get together. Everyone had fun and enjoyed the night, not being able to believe that this was the last of the many good times that they would enjoy as a group. Then on June 4, 1953, graduation day came. The stage was decorated in keeping with the theme We Learn Today to Live Tomorrow . It was not until during the Commencement program while the class sang Auf Widersehn and the full significance of the event began to register on the minds of the Seniors. Diplomas were given to the fourty-one Seniors. Awards were given and then it was almost over. Many smiles had vanished, many eyes were filled with tears, and many hearts were heavy and saddened as they all stood and sang for the last time as a group their beloved Alma Mater. Then it was all over. Their high school days were complete. Betty Fern Armistead Historian 16

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Thomas Abrams Estelle Adams Mary Anderton Harriet Armistead LEFT TO RIGHT: Alvin Knight, Treasurer, Earl Soles, Vice President, Betty Shipley, Secretary, Mrs. Hutson, Sponsor, Mrs. White, Sponsor, Marilyn Townsend, Reporter, Ed Tucker, President. C-cwv pit me m ts at B M GLOUCESTER unior Yvonne Armistead David Belvin Hugh Brooks Freddie Brown Shirley Brown Jerry Buckner Shirley Byrns Harold Diggs Florence Downs Larkin Duval Dewitt Edwards Sammy Forrest Hix i vs Drugr Stoye.